I’ll never forget the weekend of August 24-26, 2012 as long as I live. It was the weekend that marked a major, life-changing event. I nearly died that weekend. The weird thing is – I’m actually grateful for this experience, because it led me to my son.

Let me tell you about it.

This was taken last Halloween but it pertains to the story in this post, so I am using it here… I love colours (as you may know) and this love is evident in this picture! I line up my dabber lids following the colours of the rainbow! (Notice the Certs? I love Certs, too!)

What happened in my life and how I nearly died:

On Friday, August 24, 2012, I went to Bingo. I ordered and drank iced tea that evening, and began feeling a bit weird. I got a stomachache, and began feeling nauseous. I hadn’t eaten anything, so I knew I didn’t have food poisoning. I thought that maybe the iced tea was tainted. I don’t think I will ever know if it was, for sure. I just know that I felt fine beforehand. Read More

In May, I happened to take a step that has turned my life around. Actually, I have taken several steps this year (2013), which have improved the quality of my life. I’ve learned a lot this year, thanks to Danny Iny, and I have accomplished a lot, too, especially in the last few months. I have to thank my son, a few friends, and myself, for most of them. Now, I also have to thank Benny Hsu (pronounced “shoe”, not “sue”). 🙂

Some of you may remember Baby Sam from this post, and I have to thank those of you who donated to this little girl’s fundraiser for cancer research. Today’s post is to give you an update of this brave, smart and adorable little girl, and to show off my new video-making skills!

Samantha, affectionately called Sam by her friends and family, is my one-year-old niece who has retinoblastoma. This is a rare form of eye cancer, usually hereditary.

Her father, Charlie also has retinoblastoma. He now has only one eye. Sam, on the other hand, still has both, and can see well enough to spot crumbs on the floor!

Her last check-up at SickKids Hospital in Toronto revealed that her cancer has been “killed” as a result of all of her treatments. She has made many visits to SickKids since she was two days old, and has received cryotherapy, chemotherapy, and laser therapy to treat the tumors found in both of her eyes.

Sam also has glasses, stylish baby blue ones, as seen in this photo:

On June 14th, 2013, Sam walked a lap in the Relay For Life fundraiser in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She was asked to “kick off” the event, and decided to accept that honour! Read More

Ever since I can remember, I loved the three R’s: Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic.

(Today the three R’s are: Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle. My, how times have changed.)

I have recently started to blog, just to see if I could. I think it may help me cope with my personal situation.

I have written many poems, a few short stories, a bunch of other stuff, and a book. I love to write, and to create. It gives me pleasure, and helps to pass the time.

I also love to read. I have developed a preference for novels about detectives who solve crimes, and can generally be found reading a mystery by Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson, or James Patterson. These three writers are awesome! I also like the books written by (and under the name) V.C. Andrews. I have read nearly all of them.

I have always loved reading. My mom told me that when I was about one year old, I would lie on the couch with my bottle of milk in one hand, the TV Guide in the other. When I was two or three, I read the backs of shampoo bottles, cereal boxes, and anything else I could find that contained words or letters. To this day, I do not know the where my love for words originated.

I think my fascination with letters begot my fascination with numbers, as I like math (and I am not ashamed to admit it). I used to watch children’s programs on television (we did not have computers and tablets and iPads and iPhones back in my day), and I know they helped shape my inquisitive mind.

Snuffy and Big Bird, best friends

(Image courtesy of muppet.wikia.com)

“Read-a-long” and “Sesame Street” were two of my favourite shows. I also liked “Romper Room”, with Busy Bee, and “Mr. Dress-up”, with Casey and Finnegan. I was especially fond of “Captain Kangaroo” and “The Friendly Giant”, who used to rearrange miniature furniture around a fireplace at the end of each show.

Mr. Dress-up with Casey and dog, Finnegan

(Image courtesy of en.wikipedia.org)

The Count

(Image courtesy of blogs.westword.com)

“Sesame Street” episodes were usually centered around two different letters and one or two specific numbers. “The Count”, with his pointy nose, black cape, and monocle, would count everything, and lightning would strike, and he would laugh his evil laugh! Grover, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird or Snuffleupagus (or some other character) would close the show by saying, “this episode has been brought to you by the letters ___ and ___ and the number ___”. (Some of you will remember this, I am sure.)

Seeing as how I can recall this almost forty years after the fact, they must have done something right! “Sesame Street” is still around, too! My four-year-old nephew plays games on the internet that use many of the same characters from the show I used to watch. However, a few new ones, including monsters such as Elmo (first appearance as a baby in 1972), Telly (first appearance in 1979), and Zoe (first appearance in 1993) have been added to the “cast” as “Sesame Street” evolved.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic were the three R’s that were taught to children of all ages many moons ago. They were the three R’s that I learned, introduced to me first through television, via “Sesame Street”. This show truly made (and still makes) learning fun, and uses a lot of repetition. Repetition enables learners to store information in their brains in their long-term memory. I am living proof.

That is why, whenever you are learning something for the first time, you need a lot of repetition. Children AND adults alike can benefit for a long time using this method. Yes, your kids will drive you crazy when they are repeating something over and over again, and you may get annoyed with them, but think about what is really happening. They are learning!

Adults should learn to operate in the same manner whenever they are trying to do something new. Do it once, do it twice, do it a third time, do it under supervision, do it on your own, and then do it again! Whatever you are trying to do, keep doing it until you do it right! Then do it again! Repeat, repeat, repeat.

It will eventually “stick” in your memory.

Repetition is key. Just don’t learn the words to “This is a Song That Never Ends“. You will go crazy. (How many of you already know the words? Raise your hands! Are you still sane?)

Ok, question time: Wasn’t it nice to recall a memory from your childhood as you read this post today? (I know some of this content triggered something…) Did you enjoy the pictures? (This is my first post with pictures in it.) Did you like anything about your reading experience today?

Please take a moment out of your busy schedule to stop for a moment to leave me a comment, share a memory, or tell me something…. I appreciate it!

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